Improvement in coal and grain-boat elevator



NFUERS. FHOT'O-DTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C

Il. PETERS. FHUTO-LITHDGHAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

am sata @anni (time.

t LemrszPatmt No. 90,103, daad Mey 1s, 1869.

IMPRQVEMBNT 1N COAL AND GRAIN-BOAT nnnvnaon The Schedule referred to iii these Letters Patent` and making partl gf the same To allwhom filme/,1] conce/rn.-

'Be it known thatI, S. K. IIOXSln, of" the cityl/and i 'i county of Philadelphia, yand State of- Pennsylvania,

-haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Goal and Grain-Boat Elevators; and I do herebyrdeclare i that the following is a full and* exact description there' of, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings,

f and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention, in .the `first place, consists in the combination and arrangement of an elevating'- platform with elevated reservoirs, and altitudinally` movable tanks, which receive asupply of water` therep 'om,'which cause them to descend, andthesaid tanks same,

being connected with the platform by means ofchains or wire ropes, which are supported by means of sheaves,

elevate the same, to raise a boat or other vessel, which is supported by the plat-form, to a proper height and angle for discharging its contents into another vessel,

or other receptacle.

In the second place, the invention consists in the combination, with two wharvcs, between which the boat is.oate'd, of a series of vertical trunks with each wharf, in which the said .movable `tanks are caused to ascend land descend, `for lowering the platform, previcus to floating the boat above it, and elevating the to bring the boat to the proper height and angle.

In the third place, itconsists in increasing the length of the chains for elevating and depressing the movable tanks, in regularsuccession, from one end of the-platform to the other, so as toelevate one end of it more than the other, to bring the boat on an incline for the easy discharge of itscontents.

In the fourth place, it conslsts in the combination' of brakes with the platform, tc check or control its motion. A

In the fifth place, it consists in the combination and arrangement' of a rod andeseries of chains and pulleys,

"in such .a manner as to open the valves in each series of tanks, at each side of the boatat the same time,

i for discharging the water therefrom, when'the' boat is unloaded, to cause it to descend from its elevated position. v I In the accompanyingdrawings- Figure 1 `is side elevation of ,the improved elevator. Figure 2, Sheet No. 2, is a longitudinal section through the middle.

Figure- 3, Sheet No. 3, is an end elevation. Y Figures 4,-5, and 6, are respectively a plan, side elevation, and reversed plan of oneV of the reservoirs, G, and parts incounection with its bottom.

Like letters in all the figuresindicate the sume parts. lhere are two wharves, A A, parallel to eachother, and of sutlicient distance apart to receive a canal-boat, or other vessel to be unloaded. f

Projecting upward from each wharf is a series of vertical trunks, B, for the movement up and down of the tanks C.

the boat which has been previously floated over itr, for the discharge of its contents, and lowering it into the riverafterit has been unloaded, to `be oated off from between the wharves. f 4The tanks are provided with chains or wire ropes E, which are passed over the sheaves F, at the top of the vertical trunks B, and confined at their lower ends to the eyes c, which are secured 'to lugs on the edges of the platform D. p

There are water-reservoirs" G, which rest on the top of the trunks, which, combined, hold water enough to elevate one or moreboats in succession.

The' reservoirs are filled by means of a pump, operi ated. by means -of a steam-engine, or other motivepowerl The water is pumped into the highest reservoir. The rest are filled in succession, from highest to lowest, the water running from one'toI the other through the spoutsv b.

The water is dischargediiom the reservohs into the tank G through the twin ,pipes H, which convey it right and left from the chambers I, there being valves J for opening and closing the communication between said chambersand the reservoirs.

The valves are operated by means of levers K, with which is connected the operating-,rod L, by means of the wire ropes M.

' The trunks have successively an increased eleva'- tion, as represented, so that when the tanks are brought to the upper end of each, as represented in fig. 1, before the elevation` of the vessel, and are'caused to descendby the weight of water admitted into them from the reservoirs G, as described, te the bottom of the trunks, `and the wire ropes E are of corresponding length to the height of the trunks, the platform D is brought on au angle, 2, to admit of the free discharge of 'the contents'of the vessel. The same object 'may be accomplished if the trunks are all of the same heightjby still having the wire ropes E of unequal lengths, as described, so that there shall be an increased descent of the tanks in regular order.

There is a brake-shaft, at each end of the elevator,

thrown on an angle, as shown in its elevated position by red lines in iig. 2.

lThe vessels S S, which are suspended by means of the chains d d, connected with the pulleys O O, are weighted to overcome friction.

the series of,

as represented in red lines inl tig. l

On one end of the shaft N are brake-wheels T T, with which are connected' brakes, in any ordinary manner, to control the up-and-down motion of the platform. Y

yTo guide the platform, and prevent longitudinal motion as it is brought on an angle, as represented-by red lines in iig. 2, there are, at one end, projecting pins @which move in the vertical-grooved guides U, at one end of the platform. The wire ropesE are placed on an angle, as represented in fig. 2, tofavor the angular elevated position of the platform.

After Vthe vessel has been unloaded, it is lowered into the river, to be oated off from between the wharves A A, by discharging. the water from the tanksC. This is done by opening the valves Vin the bottoms of the tanks.

The valves are actuated by means of the ropes W, which are connected at one end with the upper ends of the weight-shafts f, the lower' ends of which are jointed to the said valves V.

The ropes pass around the sheaves g, and connect with the rod h, so that by depressing each cud of the rod all the valvesin the tanks, seen in fig. 1, are opened. The valves in the tanks in the opposite side .are opened at the same time. The ropes W, which also connect with the rod,vpass over the sheaves g,

and similar sheaves g, on the opposite side of the elevator, and connect .with the valves on that side, in the same manner, as above described.

The arrangement of the ropes with thelsheaves is shown in detail in figs. 4, 5, and 6.

After the boat has been unloaded, as the water runs ont of the tanks, it passes through the holes i, and passes between the bwharves into the river;

When the water is discharged from the tanks, the latter are raised into the position seen in iig. 1, by the descent of the boat and'platform. There are pins j, which are slipped through the grooved guides U, when the platform is brought into itsy elevated position, represented by red lines in iig. 2, which sustain the lower end of the platform.

There m'ay be va more or less number of movable tanks, arranged as described, to 'suit vthe magnitude vform, to regulate the discharge of the freight.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination and arrangement of the verticall trunks B with the wharves A A, for the passage ofthe reciprocating tanks O, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the elevating-platform D and reciprocating tanksv G, with the elevated waterreservoirs G, the several parts being arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purpose above set forth.`

3. The combinationand arrangement of the brakeshaft N, wheels T T, pulleys O O, `Oz O, chains P P, swivels Q Q, and bars R R, with theplatform D, substantially as described. g

4. The combination and arrangement of the weighted vessels S, chains D, and pulleys O O, with the brakeshaft N, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth. l,

5. The connection of chains or ropes E of regularlyincreased length, with themovable tanks O,^for giving an angle to the platform vD, when in-its elevated position, substantially as described.

6. The combination and arrangement of the rod L, ropes N, and levers K, with the valves J, for operating the latter, as above described.

7. The combination and arrangement of the rod h, ropes W and W', sheaves g g g, and weight-shaft f,

with the valves V, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that the aboveis my invention, I have hereunto set my hand and aiiixed my seal, this 9th day of November 1868.

S. K. HOXSIE. [1.. s.]

Witnesses:

STEPHEN UsTIcK, WM. LABZELERE. 

